Your Show of Shows

Facts and figures get thrown around on a daily basis, sometimes to the point that we become impervious to them. It often happens to me when I read about boat shows. Maybe it's because my e-mail inbox pings seemingly on a weekly basis with notifications of shows around the world, but mostly it's because these announcements proclaim "huge" displays of "dozens of luxurious yachts" of every size and shape and even "hundreds" of exhibitors. With so many quoting the same generic figures, they just don't stand out from the rest; and with some of these "luxurious yachts" more akin to tenders, I end up wondering just how far they'll take poetic license.

Sedation is the first launch in Heesen's 4400 Series, so that should attract great interest.

But in some cases those facts and figures really are impressive. The Monaco Yacht Show is a good example. For one, it's focused on megayachts; the smallest yacht is typically in the 80-foot range, so "luxury yachts" is on the money. For another, the show has become so vital to builders, designers, and owners and their crew (and, of course, those of us in the media) that each year an increasing number of new launches jockeys for Med moorage in Port Hercule.

Take these statistics on for size. For this year's show, being held September 19 to 22, 95 yachts from 25 to 90 meters (82 to 295 feet, respectively) will be on display, whereas just 90 yachts total were in the water in 2003—and those 90 yachts represented a big increase compared to the previous year, when 65 were present. In addition, half of the 95 yachts at this year's show will exceed 131 feet.

Underscoring the importance of this show is the fact that 30 megabeauties will be debuting. You'll see:

—Kismet, delivered a few months ago by Lrssen; at 223'6" she has plentiful gathering spaces, whether it be the private cinema, the "beach house," or even the colorful disco on the upper deck

—Alpha Nero, the project known by her code name, Y702, during her build period at Oceanco; this 269-footer puts a twist on an infinity pool, with one fully aft on the main deck that's revealed when the helipad isn't in use

—Emerald Star, built by CRN; the first in its new 43-meter (141-foot) series, she features an owner's balcony, a detail previously seen on larger yachts (and only a handful at that)

CRN will present Emerald Star for the first time.

—Sedation, the debut in Heesen's 4400 Series, measuring 144 feet LOA and boasting two VIP suites as well as a sky-lounge stateroom that can serve as a third VIP

—the 161-foot Lady Michelle, which, when delivered in June by Trinity Yachts, promptly headed across the Atlantic on her own bottom for the Med

—the Timmerman 45, built by Timmerman Yachts, a Russian yard hoping to compete alongside ones from Europe, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand

—Trib, an expedition-style, eco-friendly yacht built by Mondomarine (she has a RINA Green Star certificate attesting that her design and construction exceed current legislative standards for pollution prevention).

Speaking of pollution prevention, the following facts and figures are worth reflecting upon, even if you've had your fill of statistics at this point. Because carbon-dioxide emissions and other carbon-related pollutants are naturally produced in the process of everything from transporting exhibitors' booths to the arrival of the yachts and even the production of the show brochures, the Monaco Yacht Show organizers are investing in projects designed to counteract the calculated pollution. Specifically, they're investing in the construction of ten wind turbines that should produce enough energy to supply 30,000 households in India and an additional 36 wind turbines in China to power a wind-farm project. In addition, all the brochures and other documents produced to publicize the show—an astounding 18 tons, according to the organizers—are being printed on 100-percent recycled paper. These investments will earn the show the Carbon Neutral stamp for the third year in a row.

Now that's a statistic worth remembering.

Down The Ways

It's often said that springtime is when a man's fancy turns to love, but in the yacht world, summer seems to be when the love bug bites. Rocker Rod Stewart is the latest to discover marriage and megayachts mix, celebrating his wedding to longtime girlfriend Penny Lancaster aboard the 164-foot Lady Ann Magee in Italy's picturesque Ligurian coast in June.

Mortgage companies and banks offer cost calculators, so why shouldn't yacht brokers, right? That's the thinking behind the Luxury Yacht Group's calculator on its Web site. But it's not a rudimentary "enter price and interest rate here" service. It uses 33 pieces of information about the yacht you're interested in buying or the one you presently own so that you can anticipate the coming years' expenses. Things such as engine size and hours, the number of PWCs, cruising locations, and other variances are included to customize a report; you'll even get a breakdown of items such as crew uniforms, medical insurance, and flowers. Curious about charter-profit potential? You can enter the number of weeks you'll make your yacht available as well as the differences in the rate between summer and winter.